The present invention relates generally to racks for saddles and more particularly concerns a space saving multi-purpose rack for securing horse saddles against a planar surface such as a wall or ceiling.
Horse saddles are commonly stored on racks when not in use. These racks securely hold the horse saddles and reduce the chance of damage during periods of nonuse and storage. Most frequently, these racks have a configuration that permits the saddle to rest thereupon in a manner which is similar to the way in which it fits upon a horse. In other words, the saddle is supported with the seat in an upright position with the skirts or stirrups suspendedly hanging therefrom.
In many situations, the above described method of storing or transporting saddles in quite satisfactory. However, at many times space limitations either prohibit storing a saddle in this normal manner or make such a storage arrangement unsatisfactory. One situation in which space limitations make the usual method of storing saddles inconvenient is when saddles are stored or transported in a tack compartment of a horse trailer. Storage and transportation of horse saddles in tack compartments of horse trailers is very common and frequently accompanies transportation of a horse in the same trailer. The size of most tack compartments, however, limits the number of saddles that may be stored or transported. In the past, this limitation has been unduly accentuated by the prior art saddle racks that have been utilized. These prior art saddle racks position the saddle in an upright position as it is normally fitted on a horse, as described above. Consequently, much of the available space in the tack compartment is wasted.
In addition to the manner in which prior art saddle racks orient saddles during storage and transport, it is, in most cases, necessary to lift a saddle over the rack in order to position it in a secure rest position. Thus, additional clearance space (either above or elsewhere) is required in addition to that space needed to secure the saddle in a rest position. When working within the confines of a horse trailer tack department, for example, which provides very limited space, is obviously desirable to limit the additionally required clearance space as much as possible.
It has also been found that the saddle rack of the present invention is highly useful as an aid in cleaning of a saddle. Today, many saddles are cleaned by hanging the saddle from a hook which is secured to a ceiling. The hook is fastened to the stirrup of a saddle with the saddle then hanging downwardly from the attached stirrup. Although awkward, hanging the saddle in this manner generally permits access to both the top and undersides of the saddle. Conventional saddle racks do not generally permit easy access to the under surfaces of the saddle that must be cleaned. The need therefore exists for a saddle rack which would permit easy access to both the top and undersurfaces of a saddle for cleaning purposes.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a saddle rack which securely holds a horse saddle in a compact space.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a saddle rack which will securely hold a horse saddle against a planar surface, such as a wall or ceiling, with minimum intrusion into the space perpendicular to that surface.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a saddle rack that requires a minimum of extra clearance for placing and removing a saddle from the rack.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a saddle rack which may be used as an aid in cleaning a horse saddle and which provides easy access to both the top and undersurfaces of the saddle.